Modern Languages: Learning and Teaching in an Intercultural Field [Paperback]

`This is an important book. A very important book. It is important because it both challenges traditional understandings of language teaching and learning in universities, and rejects new understandings which only devalue the potential power of language learning&. This is not, however, merely a critique. The authors offer a compelling alternative, and do so in a language and style which mirror the alternative proposed&. The authors illustrate their ideas through snapshots of classroom practices which help to build up a picture of what is meant. Such illustrations are invaluable' - Teaching in Higher Education

'Every so often a book comes along filled with so much wisdom, critical insight, and sheer humanity that it takes one's breath away. Modern Languages is such a book. Reclaiming language as both a site of struggle and a crucial sphere of politics, Alison Phipps and Mike Gonzalez make it clear that matters of language lie at the heart of any viable pedagogy in which democracy matters. But not a language(s) drained of critical possibilities, passion, power, or imagination, but language as the context and medium in which meaning is produced, affective investments made, and experiences are given legitimacy. Any educator, parent, student, or citizen of the world who cares about democracy, pedagogy, and the crucial role of modern languages creating the conditions for agency, politics, and, yes, hope should read this book' - Professor Henry Giroux, Waterbury Chair, Penn State University, USA

'I expect it will become a much-thumbed handbook for teachers in search of inspiration, and I am sure it will be a catalyst to further debate and exploration. But I suspect it may also become a turning point for thinking about modern languages. This book exudes life and hope. It shows a future where languages can thrive because they al#­